Firmware version 3.90 for the PSP is now available to download, with the update adding some excellent new features, including expanded support for the PSN and Skype added as a feature under Network (for PSP-2000 series only).
For more details on Skype, take a look at the official website right here.
Have any of you used any of these features yet? Let us know.
Official press release follows.
PSP™ (PlayStation®Portable) System Software Update Version 3.90 Announced
Skype™ communication features available
London, 30th January 2008 – Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) today announced the immediate availability of the latest system software update for PSP™(PlayStation®Portable). Version 3.90 will enable all owners of the new PSP Slim & Lite*(PSP 2000 series) to make and receive phone calls, adding a whole new raft of functionality, highlighting the true portability of PSP.
Skype™ is a simple to use piece of software that allows users to make free calls over the internet to other Skype users, anywhere in the world, whilst also having the ability to make paid for calls to traditional landline and mobile phones. With the addition of these functions, alongside the ability to send and receive voicemail to over 200 million Skype users worldwide, PSP can now claim to be a highly cost effective and accessible portable communications device, alongside its entertainment credentials.
To use Skype on PSP, users simply need to upgrade to system software 3.90, register and talk, using a headset and remote control.
Also added through system software update 3.90, is the Go!Messenger icon, highlighting the commitment shown towards communications on PSP**. Go!Messenger, with the ability for video and voice chat, as well as numerous other features will be available at the end of February, and the presence of the icon not only emphasises its impending arrival but also allows users to obtain more information about the feature from a dedicated website, accessed via clicking on the icon. More information about the release of Go!Messenger will be announced soon.
*The Skype functionality is only available for the PSP Slim & Lite (PSP 2000 series) and not older versions of PSP (PSP 1000 series)
** Go! Messenger functionality will be available with all models of PSP (PSP 2000 and PSP 1000 series)
Any new functionality for PSP is good at the moment, because it’s such an under-rated portable and I believe that Sony have not done a good enough job supporting it with games and software.
This has given Nintendo DS a lead that I believe they do not deserve, although they are again, aiming for a different market.
It’s very disappointing to see that the Skype feature is only supported on the Slim & Lite and although that’s what I have, I’m sure many other people don’t and that will be a let down.
Any idea why this is?
Comment by Zed Zee — Jan 30, 2008 @ 11:10 am
The slim has more memory than the old one, which Skype requires.
Comment by Baj — Jan 30, 2008 @ 11:16 am
I got so excited when I saw this, I downloaded it.
Now all I need a PSP 20³ lite to put it on.
Comment by Savage — Jan 30, 2008 @ 11:41 am
US blog has a video on how to use it:
http://blog.us.playstation.com/2008/01/29/skype-on-the-psp-firmware-v390-coming-soon/ seems like you need to carry alot of junk with you to get it to work.
Comment by carl — Jan 30, 2008 @ 12:07 pm
Except there STILL is no PSP Slim headet or remote for the god damn thing. Still. Months after launch.
Comment by nailerr — Jan 30, 2008 @ 12:09 pm
For those of us with the PSP-1000 model, our release notes basically say “Support for PLAYSTATION Network titles has been expanded.” Also says to check the official website for further information, but it hasn’t been update. Still boasting 3.80.
One feature I know I’d like is for it to allow me to update the firmware while charging the low battery. I swear every time there’s an update my battery’s low. So I have to wait until it’s charged enough to actually install it.
I guess we’ll find out what’s in store for us PSP-1000 owners.
Comment by tdh — Jan 30, 2008 @ 12:11 pm
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Pingback by PSP System Software Update 3.90 Announced - Skype Functionality Included | GameBlews PS3, XBOX 360, Wii, PSP, DS News — Jan 30, 2008 @ 12:13 pm
“…expanded support for the PSN…”
Yes. But what does that MEAN?!
When I’m offered extra funcionality I would actually like to know what it is before I download it.
But thanks for the SYPE guys: masterstroke.
Comment by CortezTheKiller — Jan 30, 2008 @ 12:15 pm
I giggled at “the presence of the icon not only emphasises its impending arrival but also allows users to obtain more information about the feature from a dedicated websiteâ€
because all the website says is: “Coming soonâ€
http://gomessenger.software.eu.playstation.com/
Please, please, please, Sony, make it a jabber client, all I want to be able to do is message friends.
Comment by John Drinkwater — Jan 30, 2008 @ 12:20 pm
I can’t use this with my Fat ugly geriatric PSP
*cries in a corner*
Comment by JohnSketch — Jan 30, 2008 @ 12:31 pm
@ Baj:
Nonsense. They could insist on a memory card if they wanted more memory to make it work on the fat PSPs.
Come on ThreeSpeech, here’s your chance to find out why the majority of PSP owners are being left out.
Distinguish yourselves and get an answer from Sony for once. Don’t let your audience ‘leak’ to the US site.
Comment by Zed Zee — Jan 30, 2008 @ 12:37 pm
I don’t have a psp-2000 just the old FAT one. Hopefully Dark_Alex can get the Skype functionality working on the PSP-FAT!
Comment by reakt — Jan 30, 2008 @ 12:47 pm
@Zed Zee: Do you really think it’s strange that a new model has new functionality compared to the old model (even when that functionality arrives later in a firmware update)? I don’t.
Of course I’d prefer my old one to get all new features too, but if there is a good reason why certain firmware features can’t appear on it (in this case: memory shortage), then what do you expect Sony to do about it? Better that slim users can get it than that nobody can get it at all.
~Grauw (fat PSP owner)
Comment by Laurens Holst — Jan 30, 2008 @ 1:07 pm
Sony, please make a bluetooth dongle for the PSP so we can use a headset.
Comment by Zta — Jan 30, 2008 @ 1:09 pm
I love firmware updates - even if i dont know what the hell they do or when i’ll use the functionality of it! nice one sony!
Comment by linton — Jan 30, 2008 @ 1:31 pm
The deets of “our” update are here http://uk.playstation.com/help-support/psp/guides/detail/item92730/Update-features-%28ver-3-90%29/
Us early adopters almost get Go!Messenger.
Comment by Lusaka — Jan 30, 2008 @ 2:03 pm
The PSP is boaring. sorry to say it, but I may get rid of mine. I just dont play games when on the bus or at the dentist like i once envisadged.
Comment by E-ROLE — Jan 30, 2008 @ 2:13 pm
@ Zed Zee - We asked Sony for you and here was the response - “Although PSP-1000 and PSP-2000 are identical in basic functions, there are differences in hardware specifications to some extent and unfortunately, Skype is therefore only available on new PSP (PSP-2000 series). “
Comment by Three Speech — Jan 30, 2008 @ 2:21 pm
How about asking when we can buy the peripherals required to use such software. i know the headset came with a socom game, but i haven’t got that, nor have i got the headphone set for the psp2000. when are we going to see these. a quick look on amazon.com shows the US has them, and hmv.co.jp has them as well…so where are ours all these months after release?
Comment by Simon — Jan 30, 2008 @ 2:43 pm
@JohnSketch - don’t divorce your old PSP over being fat and ugly, think of the good times, buy her some new software or maybe a slinky black case? You have to work at these things…
Comment by Mr Jimmy — Jan 30, 2008 @ 4:01 pm
Sorry, this is totally irrelevat, but thought I might draw everyone’s attention to this little beauty:
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/opinion/points/stories/DN-hymowitz_27edi.ART0.State.Edition1.378ca5b.html
WE’VE BEEN TOLD.
Comment by rooee — Jan 30, 2008 @ 4:35 pm
if SONOT had any heart they would have told skype to regen their API to us the memorystick.
again SONOT likes to hurt the ones who paid the most for getting the least.
Screwing Millions of FAT PSP owners without the decency to give a reacharound is SONOT commom rule.
let’s what how the screw us this week in the EU -Store…
Comment by another screwjob — Jan 30, 2008 @ 6:45 pm
Millions of FAT PSP users get screwed !!
Skype can easy be rewritten and put on the memory-stick..
it’s time the consumers are in control,
1 store worldwide for the PS3
discounts for the early adapters of SONOT..
we don’t have to pay for the holidays of the SCEE and get the weekly crap..
why still no update on the 2.99€ for Mesmerize and 1.99$ (more than 220% increase)
where is PAIN,GT prologue + pricing
the US gets it on 16 april for 40$ for a DEMO!!!!
Comment by Terrortime — Jan 30, 2008 @ 8:48 pm
@Terrortime - you fail to understand that the GT5: Prologue that’s coming out isn’t a demo, the DEMO was released for free in Japan, and good it is too, the Prologue that’s coming out soon is a prequel to the full GT5 game and contains 60 cars, 5 tracks and lots more besides.
if you had any clue you’d understand this, just look at the difference between GT4:Prologue and the full GT4 game!
Comment by mobiletone — Jan 30, 2008 @ 9:36 pm
well.. it all seems to work, dialed my home phone and scared the cat
now all we need are some mics!
feel free to add me, mobile.tone seeing as someone has already stolen my mobiletone user name -grrr-
Comment by mobiletone — Jan 30, 2008 @ 9:54 pm
Thanx a lot! We WANT Divx now…
By the way works like a charm with Go!Camera of course (I mean the mic). I’m looking foward to Go!messenger to use the camera and do video chat!!!
Comment by Willykyu — Jan 30, 2008 @ 11:08 pm
Downloaded last night, really nice little feature, works really well from what I can see…not that I can actually talk to the person I call!!!!
Come on SONY, get the friggin’ headsets out!!!!! Oh, and will you need to buy a remote seperatly? As you dont get one with the PSP slim!
p.s. why cant I use the text chat function…I thought that would have been a given!
Comment by elephant.stone — Jan 31, 2008 @ 6:20 am
@mobiletone
20 euros is the max we should pay for a “upscaled demo”
it is not a full game or a half game
ps it is a preview of the game coming.
and what is the common name for a preview????
DEMO
Comment by terrortime — Jan 31, 2008 @ 8:09 am
@ All those asking for Skype to be re-written to use the memory card
This wouldn’t work. Memory cards aren’t designed to be used as actual memory. They aren’t as fast to access and each area of memory can only survive a limited number of writes before being worn out (this number is very high, but you’d hit it a lot faster if you were doing the constant re-writes required by virtual memory usage)
Comment by Chris Scott — Jan 31, 2008 @ 8:52 am
I haven’t got a PSP, but would like one, even though, I’m not sure when I would use it. Mmm! The Skype functionality would be nice to see added to the PS3 XMB. In fact, I’ve noticed that there are less rants these days about the usual lack of features being implimented. Which is nice, but I’d like to keep some pressure on getting good things. I’d like my Bluetooth PS3 to be able to talk to my bluetooth sony ericsson. I’d like a program that would install my games on the HDD, be they PS1, PS2, or PS3. I’d like a better web browser. I’d like to see GranTurismo on the PSP. Is there a version of Burnout on it? And I’d like a demo of GT5p and Wip3out very soon please. I can’t wait till April.
Comment by LordOfRuin — Jan 31, 2008 @ 9:15 am
What’s the ‘Added support for PSN’?
Comment by Divine — Jan 31, 2008 @ 12:00 pm
@ ThreeSpeech:
What are the “differences in hardware specifications” that made Skype impossible on the PSP-1000?
Was the idea of having it use a memory card, therefore making it a prerequisite, explored?
Come to think of it, how DOES the Skype software on PSP-2000 work? Where is it stored - firmware/download/UMD?
It’s safe to say that there are more PSP-1000 unit owners than PSP-2000, so I feel that this is another let down by Sony of its loyal installed base. Surely the focus should be on ALL users, not just a few?
They can expect to see more “Millions of FAT PSP users get screwed !!” comments from disappointed fans if they continue on this destructive path…
Comment by Zed Zee — Jan 31, 2008 @ 12:12 pm
It’s a total joke that as soon as the Slim + Light replaced the Thick + Heavy, Sony stopped selling all the official peripherals.
Where is the PSP-2000 remote with ‘phones? Why the hell didn’t you add BLUETOOTH? What a no-brainer - somebody in the PSP dev team should get sacked for that omission.
Comment by Stevie Vai-ish — Jan 31, 2008 @ 12:31 pm
I wonder what the problem is getting skype running on the PSP-fat. Most likely it’s the lack of FLASH-ROM. The PSP-slim has double that of it’s fat brother - 64MB compared to 32MB. So I can understand that the PSP-fat would not have space for the entire client in flash (presumably Sony like to leave some space in the PSP-fat flash for further updates to the firmware for as long as the PSP-fat is supported). As someone else said, make the Skype client a downloadable application that can be stored on a memory stick.
The alternative issue is the RAM one. PSP-slim also has 64MB of RAM compared to the PSP-fat’s 32MB. However, 32MB of RAM is a huge amount for an embedded system of this type. Even if the Skype client has been written in such a way that it hogs resources, it could be optimised to fit the constraints of the PSP-fat.
What about the Sat-Nav application that was announced a while back? Will this be a psp-slim exclusive as well? I really hope not!
Comment by reakt — Jan 31, 2008 @ 2:44 pm
@29 (Chris Scott) I don’t think anyone was suggesting using the memory card as virtual memory for Skype. You’ve missed the point. Most of us are assuming that the limited amount of on-board flash-ROM of the PSP-fat is the problem (rather than the smaller RAM size).
Comment by reakt — Jan 31, 2008 @ 2:56 pm
i cant use it version 3.90 on the fat psp..whats wrong
Comment by danny — Feb 2, 2008 @ 6:11 am
So my fatty is becoming obsolete, more any more features and devices will only work on the newer PSPs
Does Sony plan on offering a trade-in offer for all of us who own a older PSP and would like to see use the same features.
Comment by Alisdair Comb — Feb 4, 2008 @ 12:51 pm
can you use skype on the black psps?
Comment by eliot — Feb 7, 2008 @ 9:36 pm
can you get skype with any wireless connection
Comment by eliot — Feb 7, 2008 @ 9:38 pm
It’s all as clear as mud, isn’t it?
Dear oh dear…
Over & Out.
Comment by Zed Zee — Feb 14, 2008 @ 10:05 am
You are a twat, stop using technology, you might hurt someone!
Comment by Aed — Mar 28, 2008 @ 11:55 am
hey guys i want to know how to make the custom software with the fat psp ok send me an email/eljohnnytpk@yahoo.com thanks for helping me
Comment by Juan — Nov 20, 2008 @ 5:26 am
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